Soft Relaxing Jazz & Blues Music for Work and Study
305 videos • 11,676 views • by Relaxing Ambient Soundscapes An an inside joke in the jazz & blues circles goes, "A blues guitarist plays 3 chords in front of thousands of people, and a jazz guitarist plays thousands of chords in front of 3 people." The main focus of jazz music is the dynamics and improvisations of an ensemble, while blues music is usually centered on a single guitar player/vocalist, and the personal lyrical content of the song. Most jazz tunes are purely instrumental, while a blues song always contains lyrics. Blues music was around before jazz, and can be considered an element of jazz music. However, jazz would not be considered a part of blues music per se. Jazz is a broad musical style, notoriously difficult to define, but with a general foundation of improvisation, syncopated rhythms, and group interaction. Considered a wholly American musical form, jazz originated during the late 19th century within black communities of the Southern United States. A jazz ensemble usually plays a predetermined tune, with each musician adding their own interpretations. This improvisation is the defining element of jazz, and is based on the mood of the musicians, the interaction of the group, and even the audience’s response to the music. Jazz performers try to create a unique and expressive tone for their instrument, also known as a “voice”. Skilled jazz musicians play and interact with a swing rhythm, a propulsive groove or beat that creates a visceral response of foot-tapping or head-nodding. These rhythms have roots in traditional African music, using the off beats of syncopated rhythms to create the groove. Blues is a genre of music based on traditional blues chord patterns, scales, and emotive lyrics, often performed by a solo guitarist/vocalist. A repeating progression of chords such as the 12-bar blues is played to lyrics, mostly a narrative about the woes of life: lost love, mistreatment, and poverty. Blues music is almost always guitar-based, and is characterized by its structure, which is often simple in terms of chord progressions and repeated lyrics. Blues scales contain ‘blue’ notes - notes played at a slightly lowered pitch - which give the music a distinctive sound. The focus of blues music is usually the singer/guitarist, even when the performer is backed by a band. While improvisation is often a part of blues, there is rarely much deviation from the basic chord structure of the song. Read more at https://www.diffen.com/difference/Blu...